Signal for water skier



EREiQE I 7 02.15

Feb. 13, 1962 R. D. LANKEY SIGNAL FOR WATER SKIER Filed Jan. 2'7, 1959 54 Raymqnd D. Lankey INVENTOR.

o 20\ -22 BY 70 40 58 if M W M United States Patent 3,021,513 SIGNAL FOR WATER SKIER Raymond D. Laukey, 630 Chautauqua St., Pittsburgh .14, Pa. Filed Jan. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 789,412 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-213) This invention relates to signal devices and more particularly to signal apparatus between a water skiers handle and the tow boat.

An object of the invention is to provide a signal device for a water skier enabling the skier to signal the boat operator for left turns, right turns and also to signal the boat operator that the skier is no longer holding the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel handle for a water skier, the handle equipped with electrical switches that are adapted to energize and de-energize signal devices located in the tow boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal apparatus which is in part located at the handle of the water skier and in part located in the boat which is towing the water skier, operative connections between the parts of the signal device being established by an electrical conductor which is preferably almost wholly concealed Within the tow rope or otherwise attached on the exterior of the tow rope so that in essence, there is still only a single mechanical connection between the skiers handle and the boat.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a tow rope for a skier and provided with a handle constructed with switches in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of another part of the tow rope showing an electric plug that forms a part of an electrical connector for the switches in the handle and the circuitry within the boat.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section-a1 view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit in the signal device.

In the accompanying drawings there is a tow rope which is adapted to be connected to a conventional boat equipped with hardware by which to attach the skiers tow rope 10 thereto. The electric circuit 12 of the signal device (FIGQ R 4) has a first part or sectlon 14 located "Tum th g ilfr rarrersarefi rerseae Bauer? 8 w A al conductors in tild'tiiw rope Ill I flaghed to the tow rope. Section 14 inciudes a source 20 of electricai pbfeii'fi'al, for example a battery that has its polarity sides provided with conductors 22 and 24. Conductor 24 is operatively attached to socket 26, while conductor 22 has electrically operative signal devices connected in parallel and to conductors 28 and 30 which terminate in socket 26. There are both visual and audible signal devices, for instance electric lamps 32, 34 and bells or buzzers 36 and 38. The signal devices are in pairs with one branch of the parallel circuit having lamp 32, buzzer 36, and the other branch of the parallel circuit having lamp 34, buzzer 38. The lamps may be color coated, for example red for a left turn and green for a right turn, and the same holds true for coding the buzzers. They may have different tones for left and right turns respectively. The invention contemplates the use of either the visual or the audible or both signals. I Part 16 of the electrical circuit has three switches 40,

42 and 44, each of which is caried by handle 18. Electrical plug 48 is designed to fit into socket 26 and it has conductor 50 operatively attached to the prong of the plug which fits into the socket connector to which conductor 24 is secured. Conductor 50 is attached to terminals 52, 54 and 58 of switches 44, 42 and 40 respectively. Conductor 60 of plug 48 is connected to terminal 62 of switch 44 and terminal 64 of switch 42. The final conductor 66 of plug 48 is connected to the third terminal 68 of switch 42 and to a terminal 70 of switch 40. With the plug 26 engaged in socket 48, it is evident that the electric circuit 12 has switch 44 controlling signals 32 and 36; switch 40 controlling signals 34 and 38 and switch 42 controlling all of the signals simultaneously. Switch 42 is a master control switch held in the normally closed condition while switches 40 and 44 are individual signal switches which are normally open. Each switch 40, 42 and 44 is structurally conventional insofar as the arrangement of contacts are concerned. Switches 40 and 44 are ordinary push button switches such as door bell switches, while switch 42 is normally closed and manually held in the open position, however, the switch operating bar 74 is specially designed to fit in a long recess or slot 76 in handle 18.

Handle .18 is an elongate cylindrical bar that has passages 80 and 82 near its ends to which the ends of yoke rope 84 are fastened by being passed therethrough and knotted. The yoke rope is atlasherl tgihe tow rgpe l l),

tl g la tterphavmg conductors '50, 60 and 66 concealed Therein preferably,

and alternativel attachgg tg the outer erred, it is shown in the drawings. The handle has a longitudinal passage 86 which opens in registry with passage 80 and into which the three conductors 50, 60 and 66 are placed. Switches 40 and 44 are mounted in bores 90 and 92 in the handle 18, the bores 90 and 92 opening in registry with passage 86. Switch 42 is mounted in an opening 94 that is registered with passage 86 and that is in registry with slot 76 that is occupied by switch operating bar 74. The bar protrudes outwardly from slot 76 a short distance and is held in the hands of the skier.

In use, the skiing operations are precisely the same as those of a skier using a conventional handle. However, the normal grip of the skier maintains switch 42 in the open position by squeezing bar 74 and pulling it into slot 76. The wiring connections described previously establish switch 42 as connected in parallel with switches 40 and 44. Accordingly, when switch 42 is opened by the skier, the skier still exercises control over the signal devices in the boat by actuating switch 44 or switch 40.

When the skier desires to have the boat operator turn left or turn right, the skier merely actuates switch 40 or switch 44 thereby closing the portions of circuit 12 which have the correct signal devices therein. Should the skier lose the handle 18, switch 42 will automatigally close thereby energizing all of the signal devices 30, 34 36 and 38 simultaneously as an indication that the boat operator has lost the skier.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A signal combination for a skier being towed by a tow line behind a power driven vehicle to provide a communication between said skier and an operator of said vehicle located therein comprising a handle connected to said tow line and adapted to be grasped by. said skier, an electrical circuit including a source of electrical power, a left turn electrically operative signal producing means mounted upon said vehicle, a right turn electrically operative signal producing means mounted on said vehicle, both said signal producing means being connected in parallel to said source, said left turn signal producing means generating a first audible signal distinguishable from a second audible signal generated by said right turn signal producing means, a right turn signal switch and a left turn signal switch carried by said handle and operatively connected to current carrying conductors extending from said signal producing means, each of said right hand and left hand switches being normally open and adapted to be selectively closed by said skier, a master control switch mounted upon said handle and connected to said conductors extending from said signal producing means to operate both said signal producing means simultaneously, said master control switch being normally closed to energize both said signal producing means and adapted to be held open by said skier when grasping said handle.

2. The combination of claim 1 characterized by said left turn signal producing means generating a first visible signal, said right turn signal producing means generating a second visible signal distinguishable from said first visible signal.

3. The combination of claim 1 characterized by portions of said conductors connected to said switches having a connector, portions of said conductors connected to said signal producing means having a complemental connector, said connector and said complemental connector being detachably connected together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,103,438 Scheibert July 14, 1914 1,881,878 Nidy Oct. 11, 1932 2,025,976 Getty Dec. 31, 1935 2,776,443 Howard Jan. 8, 1957 2,810,899 Foster Oct. 22, 1957 2,835,880 Daws May 20, 1958 2,914,018 Schachner Nov. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 318,303 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1929 370,967 Italy May 6, 1939 711,647 Great Britain July 7, 1954 

